Various types of electric terminals are well known in the art, and many have some type of metal connector which is crimped to the exposed end of a wire. In the most common of these terminals, the metal connector has a piece of insulation wrapped around its end into which the exposed portion of the wire is inserted for crimping. The crimped connection between the wire and the metal for these terminals is not always satisfactory, however, because the crimping tool must squeeze the metal through the surrounding semi-rigid insulation. Further, because the insulation is permanently attached to the connector before crimping, it is difficult to visually determine whether or not the crimp connections are good ones.
In another type of terminal, the metal connector has no insulation, and the crimping tool acts directly on the metal. This results in a better electrical connection between the metal and the wire, and it is a connection which can be visually inspected. After this connection has been made, a hollow box-like insulator is then slipped over the entire metal connector and the crimp connection, thereby providing protection for the entire connector. Despite these advantages, however, the box insulator terminals are hand assembled, and thus they are not widely used because of their cost.